Military wisdom

Stripping back our military's ability to project force around the globe is
short-sighted and foolish

This week’s state visit by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, confirms the importance of the relationship between Britain and the Gulf. Whether it be the tens of thousands of British expatriates working in Dubai, or the shipments of natural gas from Qatar that keep the lights on from London to Llandudno, we are interlinked to an extent that few appreciate. Not the least of the connections are in the military sphere, with the UAE and its neighbours not just vital customers for British military equipment but vital partners for the West.

The suggestion by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), in a report today, that the Government is planning to ensure Britain has a permanent military presence in the Gulf is therefore a welcome one – indeed, this newspaper argued back in November that, as the Armed Forces are withdrawn from Afghanistan, it makes diplomatic, economic and military sense to maintain a base in such an important and turbulent region, even if it means reversing the “East of Suez” decision not to station forces so far from home.

In order to deal with the unknowable challenges that the 21st century presents, our forces need to be more flexible than ever. Yet there is a paradox here. At the same time as – according to RUSI – the Government is engaged in such far-sighted and sensible planning, it is also stripping back the strength of our military, and its ability to project power, to the bare minimum and arguably beyond. Officials in the Pentagon are said to be deeply alarmed by this trend, fearing the loss of their most valuable strategic partner. It would be good and wise for Britain to have a presence east of Suez. It would be better and wiser for us to have a strong enough military to ensure it is more than a token.